Collapsible tube holder with tube winding spool



June 1952 w. T. LORD 2,600,553

COLLAPSIBLE TUBE HOLDER WITH TUBE-WINDING SPOOL Filed 001;. 4, 1949 21 I I l l I I II I I l {515555 rir'vmn'l W! 'I I (LL j 11-222" 'L E H' J Z6 INVENTOR. MLL/HM 7'. 40/70 Patented June 17, 1952 cotriafrsmna; rune nonnsawirwruna INDING PooL This. invention: relates "to "collapsible tube holdersyand" more partidularly to a home-r: res movaiily-"attachableto a. wall forasupportinga collapsible" tube: suclr'asa toothpaste tube -am p'ositi'on for use:

It" isf'ainong the-obj ects:'- of the inventiorr to provider a n improved: collapsible tube=holde1 -oi simplifledfconstruction' which can be mounted:

2' Glaimsg: Cl. 222- 13001727- tube contentsfandisespecially designed for the easysremflvailfofifani exhausted? tube; andi replaeement of a new tube therein, andwh-ich'isdurable in construction=,-;.highh sanitary, tandsneat and attractive in appearance.

Otherobjects and advantages will become-ap parent from, a consideratior'r of 'the following descriptipn and i the appendedclainis in *con junctidl'lff with the accompanyin'i drawing, wherein:

' Figure i is a front-elevation ofi a tube holder, illustrative of the invention, portions being broken away and shown in cross-section to better illustrate the construction thereof;

Figurez is a longitudinal cross-section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the tube holder illustrated in Figure 1.

With continued reference to the drawing, the tube comprises an elongated, rectangular receptacle ID of a size and shape to loosely receive therein a conventional collapsible tube II. This receptacle is formed of thin-walled, resilient material, a molded synthetic resin material being preferred and may be provided in various colors and with surface ornamentation, as may be desired. Two elongated slots l2 are provided, respectively, in the opposite side walls of the rectangular receptacle with each slot extending longitudinally of the corresponding side wall substantially along the mid-width location of the side wall and from a location near one end to a location near the opposite end of the side wall, and an enlarged, rectangular opening I3 is provided in the back wall of the receptacle. At each end of the opening l3 the back wall is provided with rounded notches l4 buttonjportions of two rubber suction cups 16 and are n ged, respectively, in these notches and I5 and the flanged or,

2 fofiattachi-ng"the suction cupsntor the receptacle at respectively opposite ends;o the-openingain the back wall bf 'the receptaclea 'I hesersucfibni cupsareengageable wimfia' smooth wall? surtacei ably secure-the collapsible tube -holden-"tw the wait proper position fornuse off-'themontents ofthetubef g The receptacler- 10' is open at -one -endi anda: fianged== cover W is provided to fit 'iipen the ceptac1e' at"-itsf-- open end; thisaeoverbeing emote able for pla in a tubein the 'receptael J,-

At-;'- its opposite endeth'e receptacleisiprovided with a pyramidaF- formation tt havinganr apical ippening 20 are size t'o receive thdscrevkfihrbaded neck 2 er the tube--asis clearly illustratedetnr Figure 2. This formation 19 comprises ibur thin-walled, resilient prongsgeach zbfi-whi'c hsbxtends: from" a respective side wall he receptacle' I 0' to -the apical-' opening z =20 to.-resili'e! itl3 grip the; neck or tube forced th rougttt' the opent-iing 20 from- 'withihstherreeeptacler Aatubezrolier 2-2 is inserted through: the slots-212: and extend transversel'y of the -receptacle: 1.09 1- This: roller? comprises an: elor rgated, hylind'rlcalebonybifuri-i cated tb providea slo't zaextendingetrdmmne end to a location adjacent theroppbsitetzend'z'ofithe body. A thumb-knob 24 is provided on one end of the cylindrical body and the body is externally screw-threaded at its opposite end, as indicated at 25, and receives a, hollow, internally screw-threaded cap 26' which is similar in external size to the knob 24 and provides a thumbknob at the corresponding end of the roller. The slot 23 of the bifurcated roller receives a collapsible tube near the flattened, closed end of the tube, the furcations of the roller being firmly engaged with the tube by threading the cap 28 onto the screw-threaded end of the roller.

In order to mount a tube in the holder, the closure cap provided on the tube is removed and the screw-threaded neck of the tube is forced through the opening 20 in the bottom end of the holder, so that the ends of the prong at the opening 20 will engage in the threads on the neck of the tube. The ends of the prong at the opening 20 are preferably beveled, as indicated at 21, to provide thread-engaging edges on these prongs. After the neck of the tube is secured in the opening 20, the roller 22 is inserted through the slots l2 in straddling relationship to the flattened end portion of the tube and the cap 26 is threaded onto the screw-threaded end of theroller. The cover I8 is then placed in position on the upper end of the-receptacle and the receptacle is mounted on the wall at a convenient location by the suction cups l6 and 11.

For dispensing the contents of the tube, a toothbrush, as indicated at 281, in Figure 2, is held directly below the neck of the tube and the roller 22 is turned until the desired amount of the roller is first unwound from the tube, the cap 26 is then removed and the roller withdrawn from the receptacle. With the receptacle removed from the wall, two or more fingers are then inserted through the opening i3 and the tube is rotated in the receptacle until its neck threads out of the opening 20 in the bottom end formation of the holder, after which the exhausted tube is removed through the open, upper end of the receptacle, and a new tube placedin the receptacle in the manner indicated above.

- The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof- The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, andall changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein. I

What is claimed is: 1

1. A collapsible tube holder comprising, a hollow, thin-walled receptacle of resilient material having a pair of oppositely-disposed, longitudinal slots therein and a large opening between said slots, said receptacle having an open end and having at its opposite end an outwardly projecting formation provided with an apical opening 4 and comprising separate, resilient prongs extending from the wall of said receptacle to said opening to resiliently grip a collapsible tube neck forced through said opening from within said receptacle, a tube-winding spool comprising a bifurcated member inserted through said slots for receiving a collapsible tube near its closed end between the furcations of such member and winding the tube to dispense the contents thereof, two suction cups of flexible material secured to said receptacle at respectively-opposite ends of said opening, and a removable cover closing the open end of said receptacle.

2. A collapsible tube holder comprising an elongated, rectangular receptacle of thin-walled, resilient material having elongated slots respectively-extending longitudinally of two opposite side walls along the mid-width location of said side walls and between locations near the opposite ends of such walls and having a large opening in its back wall, said receptacle having one end open and having at its opposite end a pyramidal formation provided with an apical opening and comprising four separate, resilient prongs extending respectively from the walls of said receptacle to said apical opening to resiliently receive and grip a collapsible tube neck forced through said tube opening from within said receptacle, a tube-winding spool comprising a bifurcated member inserted through said slots for receiving a collapsible tube near its closed end between the furcations of such member and wind ing the tube to dispense the contents thereof, two suction cups of flexible material secured to said receptacle at opposite ends of the opening in said black wall, and a removable cover closing to openend of said receptacle.

WILLIAM T. LORD.

. nnrnnnivens CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Date Arnest Mar. 7. 1939 

